Door-spring



(N0 M od el.)

. P. K DLALLY.

1300B SPRING.

Patented Nov. 8,1881

' UNITED STATES PATENT F rAr nieK KIOLALLY, or Bosron, MASSACHUSETTS.

noon-seems. i

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters llatent No. 249,253, dated November 8, 1881.

I Application filed February 9, 1861. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK K. OLALLY,

of Boston, in the county of Sufiolk andState of Massachusetts, have invented certain Im;

provements in Door-Springs, of which thefollowing is a specification. This invention has for its object to, provide certain improvementsin springs for automatidow blinds or shutters.

cally-closing doors or equivalent hinged bodies, whereby cheapness, strength, simplicity, and effectiveness and convenience of operation are combined to a greater degree than heretofore.

The invention consists 1m spring composed of a single elasticmetal rod or section of stout elastic wire having one end formed as a pivot,

combined with supporting-brackets adapted to be attached, respectively, to the door. and casing,and provided with sockets adapted to receive the opposite ends of the spring, the pivot end of the spring being journaledin the bracket on the casing, sothat the spring can swing horizontally with the door, all as hereinafter. specified and clairned;

Ofthe accompanyingdrawings,iormii gpart of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a portion of a door and its casing provided with a spring embodying my invention. Figs. 1, 1 and 1 represent modifications. Fig. 2 represents a similar elevation, showinga ditferent form of spring. Figs. 3 and 4 represent top views of the devices shown respectively in Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 3 and L represent, respectively, sections on lines m a: and y Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 3 represents a section on line a." m, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a side view, and Figs. 6, 7', and 8 top views, of my improved spring adapted to outside win- Fig. 9 representsa modification of my invention.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, D represents a door, and O the casing or jamb thereof.

a represents the spring, which is composed of a rod of suitably-elastic metal, preferably steel. This rod may be a section of stout steel wire, and is preferably curved in semicircular form when in its normal position, as hereinafter described. I

b represents an arm or bracket adapted to be attached to the door-jamb and project there- 'et, so that the spring may swing horizontally with the door, the pivot end of the spring and y i from, so that its outer end will be outsideof the socketbeing threaded to prevent the spring from being accidentally withdrawn from the socket.

11 represents an arm or bracket, adapted to be attached to a'door and project therefrom a suitable distancesay one or two inches. In

the outer end of the bracket 1) is a socket,- e, formed to receive the opposite end'of the spring a. Said socket ispreferably a 'countersunk'depress'ion made in the endfof a 'screw,f, working in a threadedorifice in the bracket b, and enabling the socket to be adjusted to vary'the tension of the spring a; but in case it is not desirable to .vary the tension, the socket cm'ay be formed directly in the sideof the bracket b, as shown in Fig. 1. The socket e is soarranged that the spring is engaged with the socket wholly by its own resilience; hence the spring can be readily disconnected from the bracket?) by merely springing it to increase its curvature, so that its endwill slip out from the socket c, said end being bent outwardly, as shown at 0, to enter the socket 6.

When, on account of limited space or for any reason, it is desirable to place the brackets b b nearer together I make use of the modification shown in Fig. 1, the spring a in this case havingaloop, a, formed in the center thereof. This diminishes the horizontal space between the ends of the spring, while at the same time; the spring being carried higher, its force is preserved and equally effective action secured; and this form of spring is especially useful when my invention is applied to outside blinds or shutters, as hereinafter describedl My invention operates as follows: When the door is closed and the spring is in its normal position the ends of the spring bear or press in opposite-directions against the sockets in the brackets b b, and thus tend to keep the door closed. When the door is opened the spring swings on the bracket 12, and its ends are brought nearertogether the farther the door is opened, thus increasing the pressure of said ends on their brackets, so that when the door is released the spring, in its effortto regain its avoid the expense of intermediate parts to connect the ends of the spring to their respective brackets. The provision of the socket-screw f for varying the tension of the spring enables it to be readily adapted to the weight of the door.

I do not limit myself in all cases to the U- shaped spring having one end formed as a pivot and bent outwardly at the other end to enter the socket in the bracket 1), for the bracket 1), with its lateral socket 6, may be employed with a spring that is approximately straight, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the bracket b having a block, 6 pivoted to it provided with a vertical slot-shaped socket adapted to receive one end of the spring. The opposite end of the spring enters the socket c, as in the form previously described. i Neither do I limit myself in all cases to the employment of the lateral socket e in the bracket b, for in case it is not desirable to make the spring detachable from the bracket 11 the socket of said bracket may be vertical, as shown in Fig. l

My improved spring may be applied to outside window blinds or shutters, as shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8. a In Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are represented plan views, the blind being closed, half-way open, and entirely open in the figures, respectively. A bracket or arm, I), being attached to the blind E, and a bracket, I), to the window-casing F, the spring a is then applied to the brackets in the manner previously described. In thus applying my spring to blinds close the blind, as the case may be. In the drawings the spring is neutralized when the blind is swung half-way open; but by adjusting the bracket 1) the spring may be neutralized at any desired point as the blind swings, and so made to act to throw the blind back beyond that point.

When my spring is similarly applied to a door it may be made to force the door back when opened to any desired point, and allow the door to be freely swung to and fro without closing, up to said point, or to close it'when swung beyond said point.

I also employ the modification of my invention shown in Fig. 9, the spring a in this case being straight and formed into a spiral, t, in the center. i

I may here remark that it is not new to provide a door with an elliptical spring arranged in a vertical or horizontal plane, said spring being OOIDPOScd of a number of leaves secured atone end in a pocket fixed to the door, and p at the other end in a pocket jointed or hinged to the easing or jamb. My invention differs from this, in that I employ a spring consisting solely of a single rod of wire, the bearings for both ends or which are preferably rigid or fixed.

Having described my invention, what 1 claim is- 1. The combination of a spring composed of a single elastic rod or wire, a, having one end formed as a pivot, the bracket 1), provided with a socket receiving and permitting the rotation of the pivot end of the spring, and the bracket b, adapted to support the opposite end of said spring, as set forth.

2. The combination of the bracket 1), the spring a, pivoted at one end to said bracket, and the bracket 12, having the adjustable screw f, containing the spring-receiving socket e in its end, and adapted to regulate the tension of the spring, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 3d day of February, A. D. 1881. PATRICK K. OLALLY.

Witnesses: V

H. G. WADLIN, G. F. BROWN. 

